Are You Just Certified or Are You Truly Qualified?

Lincoln, Nebraska - October 10, 2006. Today's health facility owners and managers, fitness professionals and personal trainers can add an additional responsibility to their job descriptions - liability management. Attorneys who pursue fitness instructor/facility litigation cases have begun to look for certain weaknesses when bringing a lawsuit against a fitness facility or personnel. These weaknesses include poorly or inadequately trained staff; inadequate supervision on the weight room floor (or in the cardio or aquatic area); lack of signage; poorly written waivers; facilities and/or equipment not properly maintained; staff (i.e., personal trainers or group exercise instructors) with no certification; and improperly stored equipment.¹

The NSCA Certification Commission's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer® (NSCA-CPT®) certifications provide fitness professionals with the ability to prove they are truly qualified and have the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to safely and effectively train athletes or clients in a variety of settings. The exams focus on the "real-world" responsibilities of strength training and conditioning professionals and personal trainers. The exams are validated; this process signifies that individuals are tested over the KSAs necessary to be competent in their respective professional career areas. The CSCS and NSCA-CPT exams' "scope of practice" are legally defensible and as well as the professional descriptions of the KSAs of a CSCS or an NSCA-CPT certified individual.

The NSCA Certification Commission was the first fitness organization to offer credentials that are nationally accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The CSCS and NSCA-CPT programs met NCCA standards in 1993 and 1996, respectively. NCCA accreditation provides an unbiased third party review of the CSCS and NSCA-CPT certification programs and verifies that they are valid and reliable and demonstrate key characteristics of competency requirements for strength training and conditioning professionals and personal trainers.

Dr. Tony Abbott, EdD, CSCS,*D; NSCA-CPT,*D, who is recognized worldwide as an expert witness in fitness instructor/facility litigation cases, warns that not all accredited certifications can effectively discriminate between a certified individual who has the KSAs to be a qualified fitness professional versus someone who may pose a risk to the public.

"Of all the NCCA-accredited certifications in the fitness industry, the CSCS and NSCA-CPT exams provide the most in-depth analyses of a candidate's knowledge base," Dr. Abbott said.

Fitness facilities that hire CSCS or NSCA-CPT certified individuals can reduce the risk of facing a lawsuit, but all of the risks will never be fully eliminated. Certification is just one part of a comprehensive risk-management plan to minimize the possibility of litigation.

For more information on how the CSCS and NSCA-CPT credentials can help fitness professionals become thoroughly prepared and committed to providing safe and effective exercise programs, call toll-free 888-746-2378, e-mail commission@nsca-cc.org or visit www.nsca-cc.org.

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